21/03/2018

Millennials confident at repairs

New research released today from LV=, the UK's third largest car insurer, has revealed that there is a large car maintenance skills gap between generation Z and generation Y.

The study found that millennials come out on top for their car maintenance skills, with half (50%) of 17-24 year olds saying they would find it easy to perform some basic car maintenance themselves. Unfortunately, confidence falls amongst older drivers, with less than a third (31%) of those aged over 45 saying they would find it easy to repair a simple problem with their vehicle.

LV='s research stands in stark contrast to the widely held belief that older generations have a better knowledge of car maintenance compared to younger generations.

The little problems with cars that can be easily solved at home soon add up. On average, UK households with more than one car could in total be spending over £390m, outside of the yearly MOT service, on unnecessary mechanic fees.

Changes in the modern driving test curriculum and Google are having a significant impact on helping younger generations develop this confidence. Since 2004, driving tests have included stricter testing of the driver's knowledge of how the vehicle works. What's more, in 2017 the 'expanded distraction test' was introduced which includes a satnav challenge, and 'show me, tell me' questions on car safety features and how they work.

Additionally, trend data from Google shows that searches for 'how to' videos relating to car and home maintenance are growing 70% year-on-year, with the younger generation more likely to use online videos to learn new skills, as a result of being more internet savvy. An astonishing 95% of 18-24 year olds claim they use YouTube for research, compared with an average of just 68% of those aged over 35.

To help drivers of all ages and generations become confident at performing basic car maintenance, LV= has created a series of easy 'how-to' videos which will be available to view today.

Tony Hill, operations & compliance manager at Gemini Accident Repair Centres, commented, 'Every driver should have a basic level of car maintenance knowledge, such as how to check the engine oil or asses the tyre wear. This is primarily important for safety, but it could also help motorists save money by spotting easily fixable repairs early on. It's encouraging to see younger generations displaying these skills, but we're keen to help extend this to all generations. We've teamed up with LV= to create these 'Mechanic Mentor' films to help all drivers feel more confident maintaining their vehicles.'

LV= managing director of car insurance, Selwyn Fernandes, added, 'At LV=, we want to help our customers become safer and more confident drivers. With so many people saying they wouldn't know where to start when it comes to performing maintenance on their car, along with Gemini Accident Repair Centres, we've decided to create some simple-to-follow guidance for common car problems. We know from previous research that more and more households have second cars, so understanding how to repair simple car problems can help families save money.'